It is a memorable and very melancholy story which
is related in this and the following chapter, of the turning back
of Israel from the borders of Canaan, when they were just ready to
set foot in it, and the sentencing of them to wander and perish in
the wilderness for their unbelief and murmuring. It is referred to
Ps. xcv. 7, &c., and
improved for warning to Christians, Heb. iii. 7, &c. In this chapter we
have, I. The sending of twelve spies before them into Canaan,
ver. 1-16. II. The
instructions given to these spies, ver. 17-20. III. Their executing their
commission according to their instructions, and their return from
the search, ver. 21-25.
IV. The report they brought back to the camp of Israel, ver. 26, &c.

Missions of the Twelve
Spies. (b. c. 1490.)

1 And the Lord
spake unto Moses, saying, 2 Send thou men, that they may
search the land of Canaan, which I give unto the children of
Israel: of every tribe of their fathers shall ye send a man, every
one a ruler among them. 3 And Moses by the commandment of
the Lord sent them from the
wilderness of Paran: all those men were heads of the
children of Israel. 4 And these were their names: of
the tribe of Reuben, Shammua the son of Zaccur. 5 Of the
tribe of Simeon, Shaphat the son of Hori. 6 Of the tribe of
Judah, Caleb the son of Jephunneh. 7 Of the tribe of
Issachar, Igal the son of Joseph. 8 Of the tribe of Ephraim,
Oshea the son of Nun. 9 Of the tribe of Benjamin, Palti the
son of Raphu. 10 Of the tribe of Zebulun, Gaddiel the son of
Sodi. 11 Of the tribe of Joseph, namely, of the tribe
of Manasseh, Gaddi the son of Susi. 12 Of the tribe of Dan,
Ammiel the son of Gemalli. 13 Of the tribe of Asher, Sethur
the son of Michael. 14 Of the tribe of Naphtali, Nahbi the
son of Vophsi. 15 Of the tribe of Gad, Geuel the son of
Machi. 16 These are the names of the men which Moses
sent to spy out the land. And Moses called Oshea the son of Nun
Jehoshua. 17 And Moses sent them to spy out the land of
Canaan, and said unto them, Get you up this way southward,
and go up into the mountain: 18 And see the land, what it
is; and the people that dwelleth therein, whether they
be strong or weak, few or many; 19 And what the land
is that they dwell in, whether it be good or bad; and
what cities they be that they dwell in, whether in tents, or
in strong holds; 20 And what the land is, whether it
be fat or lean, whether there be wood therein, or not. And
be ye of good courage, and bring of the fruit of the land. Now the
time was the time of the firstripe grapes.

Here we have, I. Orders given to send spies
to search out the land of Canaan. It is here said, God directed
Moses to send them (v. 1,
2), but it appears by the repetition of the story
afterwards (Deut. i. 22)
that the motion came originally from the people; they came to
Moses, and said, We will send men before us; and it was the
fruit of their unbelief. They would not take God's word that it was
a good land, and that he would, without fail, put them in
possession of it. They could not trust the pillar of cloud and fire
to show them the way to it, but had a better opinion of their own
politics than of God's wisdom. How absurd was it for them to send
to spy out a land which God himself had spied out for them, to
enquire the way into it when God himself had undertaken to show
them the way! But thus we ruin ourselves by giving more credit to
the reports and representations of sense than to divine revelation;
we walk by sight, not by faith; whereas, if we will
receive the witness of men, without doubt the witness of
God is greater. The people making this motion to Moses, he
(perhaps not aware of the unbelief at the bottom of it) consulted
God in the case, who bade him gratify the people in this matter,
and send spies before them: "Let them walk in their own counsels."
Yet God was no way accessory to the sin that followed, for the
sending of these spies was so far from being the cause of the sin
that if the spies had done their duty, and the people theirs, it
might have been the confirmation of their faith, and of good
service to them.

II. The persons nominated that were to be
employed in this service (v.
4, &c.), one of each tribe, that it might appear to
be the act of the people in general; and rulers, person of figure
in their respective tribes, some of the rulers of thousands or
hundreds, to put the greater credit upon their embassy. This was
designed for the best, but it proved to have this ill effect that
the quality of the persons occasioned the evil report they brought
up to be the more credited and the people to be the more influenced
by it. Some think that they are all named for the sake of two good
ones that were among them, Caleb and Joshua. Notice is taken of the
change of Joshua's name upon this occasion, v. 16. He was Moses's minister, but
had been employed, though of the tribe of Ephraim, as general of
the forces that were sent out against Amalek. The name by which he
was generally called and known in his own tribe was Oshea,
but Moses called him Joshua, in token of his affection to
him and power over him; and now, it should seem, he ordered others
to call him so, and fixed that to be his name henceforward.
Oshea signifies a prayer for salvation, Save thou;
Joshua signifies a promise of salvation, He will save,
in answer to that prayer: so near is the relation between prayers
and promises. Prayers prevail for promises, and promises direct and
encourage prayers. Some think that Moses designed, by taking the
first syllable of the name Jehovah and prefixing it to his name,
which turned Hoshea into Jehoshua, to put an honour
upon him, and to encourage him in this and all his future services
with the assurances of God's presence. Yet after this he is called
Hoshea, Deut. xxxii.
44. Jesus is the same name with Joshua,
and it is the name of our Lord Christ, of whom Joshua was a type as
successor to Moses, Israel's captain, and conqueror of Canaan.
There was another of the same name, who was also a type of Christ,
Zech. vi. 11. Joshua was
the saviour of God's people from the powers of Canaan, but Christ
is their Saviour from the powers of hell.

III. The instructions given to those spies.
They were sent into the land of Canaan the nearest way, to traverse
the country, and to take account of its present state, v. 17. Two heads of enquiry
were given them in charge, 1. Concerning the land itself: See
what that is (v.
18, and again, v.
19), see whether it be good or bad, and
(v. 20) whether
it be fat or lean. All parts of the earth do not share alike in
the blessing of fruitfulness; some countries are blessed with a
richer soil than others. Moses himself was well satisfied that
Canaan was a very good land, but he sent these spies to bring an
account of it for the satisfaction of the people; as John Baptist
sent to Jesus, to ask whether he was the Christ, not to inform
himself, but to inform those he sent. They must take notice whether
the air was healthful or no, what the soil was, and what the
productions; and, for the better satisfaction of the people, they
must bring with them some of the fruits. 2. Concerning the
inhabitants—their number, few or many—their size and stature,
whether strong able-bodied men or weak,—their habitations, whether
they lived in tents or houses, whether in open villages or in
walled towns,—whether the woods were standing as in those
countries that are uncultivated, through the unskillfulness and
slothfulness of the inhabitants, or whether the woods were cut
down, and the country made champaign, for the convenience of
tillage. These were the things they were to enquire about. Perhaps
there had not been of late years such commerce between Egypt and
Canaan as there was in Jacob's time, else they might have informed
themselves of these things without sending men on purpose to
search. See the advantage we may derive from books and learning,
which acquaint those that are curious and inquisitive with the
state of foreign countries, at a much greater distance than Canaan
was now from Israel, without this trouble and expense.

IV. Moses dismisses the spies with this
charge, Be of good courage, intimating, not only that they
should be themselves encouraged against the difficulties of this
expedition, but that they should bring an encouraging account to
the people and make the best of every thing. It was not only a
great undertaking they were put upon, which required good
management and resolution, but it was a great trust that was
reposed in them, which required that they should be faithful.

21 So they went up, and searched the land from
the wilderness of Zin unto Rehob, as men come to Hamath. 22
And they ascended by the south, and came unto Hebron; where Ahiman,
Sheshai, and Talmai, the children of Anak, were. (Now Hebron
was built seven years before Zoan in Egypt.) 23 And they
came unto the brook of Eshcol, and cut down from thence a branch
with one cluster of grapes, and they bare it between two upon a
staff; and they brought of the pomegranates, and of the
figs. 24 The place was called the brook Eshcol, because of
the cluster of grapes which the children of Israel cut down from
thence. 25 And they returned from searching of the land
after forty days.

We have here a short account of the survey
which the spies made of the promised land. 1. They went quite
through it, from Zin in the south, to Rehob, near Hamath, in the
north, v. 21. See
ch. xxxiv. 3, 8. It
is probable that they did not go altogether in a body, lest they
should be suspected and taken up, which there would be the more
danger of if the Canaanites knew (and one would think they could
not but know) how near the Israelites were to them; but they
divided themselves into several companies, and so passed
unsuspected, as way-faring men. 2. They took particular notice of
Hebron (v. 22),
probably because near there was the field of Machpelah, where the
patriarchs were buried (Gen. xxiii.
2), whose dead bodies did, as it were, keep possession
of that land for their posterity. To this sepulchre they made a
particular visit, and found the adjoining city in the possession of
the sons of Anak, who are here named. In that place where they
expected the greatest encouragements they met with the greatest
discouragements. Where the bodies of their ancestors kept
possession for them the giants kept possession against them.
They ascended by the south, and came to Hebron, that is,
"Caleb," say the Jews, "in particular," for to his being there we
find express reference, Josh.
xiv. 9, 12, 13. But that others of the spies were there
too appears by their description of the Anakim, v. 33. 3. They brought a bunch of
grapes with them, and some other of the fruits of the land, as a
proof of the extraordinary goodness of the country. Probably they
furnished themselves with these fruits when they were leaving the
country and returning. The cluster of grapes was so large and so
heavy that they hung it upon a bar, and carried it between two of
them, v. 23, 24.
The place whence they took it was, from this circumstance, called
the valley of the cluster, that famous cluster which was to
Israel both the earnest and the specimen of all the fruits of
Canaan. Such are the present comforts which we have in communion
with God, foretastes of the fulness of joy we expect in the
heavenly Canaan. We may see by them what heaven is.

St-Takla.org Image:
But the men who had gone up with him said, "We are not able to go up against the
people, for they are stronger than we." (Numbers 13:31)

26 And they went and came to Moses, and to
Aaron, and to all the congregation of the children of Israel, unto
the wilderness of Paran, to Kadesh; and brought back word unto
them, and unto all the congregation, and showed them the fruit of
the land. 27 And they told him, and said, We came unto the
land whither thou sentest us, and surely it floweth with milk and
honey; and this is the fruit of it. 28 Nevertheless
the people be strong that dwell in the land, and the cities
are walled, and very great: and moreover we saw the
children of Anak there. 29 The Amalekites dwell in the land
of the south: and the Hittites, and the Jebusites, and the
Amorites, dwell in the mountains: and the Canaanites dwell by the
sea, and by the coast of Jordan. 30 And Caleb stilled the
people before Moses, and said, Let us go up at once, and possess
it; for we are well able to overcome it. 31 But the men that
went up with him said, We be not able to go up against the people;
for they are stronger than we. 32 And they brought up
an evil report of the land which they had searched unto the
children of Israel, saying, The land, through which we have gone to
search it, is a land that eateth up the inhabitants thereof;
and all the people that we saw in it are men of a great
stature. 33 And there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak,
which come of the giants: and we were in our own sight as
grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight.

It is a wonder how the people of Israel had
patience to stay forty days for the return of their spies, when
they were just ready to enter Canaan, under all the assurances of
success they could have from the divine power, and a constant
series of miracles that had hitherto attended them; but they
distrusted God's power and promise, and were willing to be held in
suspense by their own counsels, rather than be brought to a
certainty by God's covenant. How much do we stand in our own light
by our unbelief! Well, at length the messengers return, but they
agree not in their report.

I. The major part discourage the people
from going forward to Canaan; and justly are the Israelites left to
this temptation, for putting so much confidence in the judgment of
men, when they had the word of God to trust to. It is a righteous
thing with God to give those up to strong delusions who will not
receive his truth in the love of it.

1. Observe their report. (1.) They could
not deny but that the land of Canaan was a very fruitful land; the
bunch of grapes they brought with them was an ocular demonstration
of it, v. 27. God
had promised them a land flowing with milk and honey, and the evil
spies themselves own that it is such a land. Thus even out of the
mouth of adversaries will God be glorified and the truth of his
promise attested. And yet afterwards they contradict themselves,
when they say (v.
32), It is a land that eateth up the inhabitants
thereof; as if, though it had milk, and honey, and grapes, yet
it wanted other necessary provision; some think that there was a
great plague in the country at the time they surveyed it, which
they ought to have imputed to the wisdom of the divine Providence,
which thus lessened the numbers of their enemies, to facilitate
their conquests; but they invidiously imputed it to the
unwholesomeness of the air, and thence took occasion to disparage
the country. For this unreasonable fear of a plague in Canaan, they
were justly cut off immediately by a plague in the
wilderness, ch. xiv.
37. But, (2.) They represented the conquest of it as
altogether impracticable, and that it was to no purpose to attempt
it. The people are strong (v.
28), men of a great stature (v. 32), stronger than we,
v. 31. The cities
are represented as impregnable fortresses: they are walled
and very great, v.
28. But nothing served their ill purpose more than a
description of the giants, on whom they lay a great stress: We
saw the children of Anak there (v. 28), and again, we saw the
giants, those men of a prodigious size, the sons of
Anak, who come of the giants, v. 33. They spoke as if they were
ready to tremble at the mention of them, as they had done at the
sight of them. "O these tremendous giants! when we were near them,
we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, not only little
and weak, but trembling and daunted." Compare Job xxxix. 20, Canst thou make him afraid
as a grasshopper? "Nay, and so we were in their sight;
they looked upon us with as much scorn and disdain as we did upon
them with fear and trembling." So that upon the whole matter they
gave it in as their judgment, We are not able to go up against
them (v. 31),
and therefore must think of taking some other course.

2. Now, even if they had been to judge only
by human probabilities, they could not have been excused from the
imputation of cowardice. Were not the hosts of Israel very
numerous? 600,000 effective men, well marshalled and modelled,
closely embodied, and entirely united in interest and affection,
constituted as formidable an army as perhaps was ever brought into
the field; many a less has done more than perhaps the conquering of
Canaan was, witness Alexander's army. Moses, their
commander-in-chief, was wise and brave; and if the people had put
on resolution, and behaved themselves valiantly, what could have
stood before them? It is true the Canaanites were strong, but they
were dispersed (v.
29): Some dwell in the south and others in the
mountains; so that by reason of their distance they could not
soon get together, and by reason of their divided interests they
could not long keep together, to oppose Israel, and you can find
more about that here on
st-takla.org on other commentaries and
dictionary entries. The country being
plentiful would subsist an army, and, though the cities were
walled, if they could beat them in the field the strong-holds would
fall of course into their hands. And, lastly, as for the giants,
their overgrown stature would but make them the better mark, and
the bulkiest men have not always the best mettle.

3. But, though they deserved to be posted
for cowards, this was not the worst, the scripture brands them for
unbelievers. It was not any human probabilities they were required
to depend upon, but, (1.) They had the manifest and sensible tokens
of God's presence with them, and the engagement of his power for
them. The Canaanites were stronger than Israel; suppose they were,
but were they stronger than the God of Israel? We are not able to
deal with them, but is not God Almighty able? Have we not him in
the midst of us? Does not he go before us? And is any thing too
hard for him? Were we as grasshoppers before the giants, and are
not they less than grasshoppers before God? Their cities are walled
against us, but can they be walled against heaven? Besides this,
(2.) They had had very great experience of the length and strength
of God's arm, lifted up and made bare on their behalf. Were not the
Egyptians as much stronger than they as the Canaanites were? And
yet, without a sword drawn by Israel or a stroke struck, the
chariots and horsemen of Egypt were quite routed and ruined; the
Amalekites took them at great disadvantages, and yet they were
discomfited. Miracles were at this time their daily bread; were
there nothing else, an army so well victualled as theirs was, so
constantly, so plentifully, and all on free cost, would have a
might advantage against any other force. Nay, (3.) They had
particular promises made them of victory and success in their wars
against the Canaanites. God had given Abraham all possible
assurances that he would put his seed into possession of that land,
Gen. xv. 18; xvii. 8.
He had expressly promised them by Moses that he would drive out
the Canaanites from before them (Exod. xxxiii. 2), and that he would do it
by little and little, Exod.
xxiii. 30. And, after all this, for them to say, We
are not able to go up against them, was in effect to say, "God
himself is not able to make his words good." It was in effect to
give him the lie, and to tell him he had undertaken more than he
could perform. We have a short account of their sin, with which
they infected the whole congregation, Ps. cvi. 24. They despised the land, they
believed not his word. Though, upon search, they had found it
as good as he had said, a land flowing with milk and honey,
yet they would not believe it as sure as he had said, but despaired
of having it, though eternal truth itself had engaged it to them.
And now this is the representation of the evil spies.

II. Caleb encouraged them to go forward,
though he was seconded by Joshua only (v. 30): Caleb stilled the
people, whom he saw already put into a ferment even before
Moses himself, whose shining face could not daunt them, when
they began to grow unruly. Caleb signifies all heart,
and he answered his name, was hearty himself, and would have made
the people so if they would have hearkened to him. If Joshua had
begun to stem the tide, he would have been suspected of partiality
to Moses, whose minister he was; and therefore he prudently left it
to Caleb's management at first, who was of the tribe of Judah, the
leading tribe, and therefore the fittest to be heard. Caleb had
seen and observed the strength of the inhabitants as much as his
fellows, and upon the whole matter, 1. He speaks very confidently
of success: We are well able to overcome them, as strong as
they are. 2. He animates the people to go on, and, his lot lying in
the van, he speaks as one resolved to lead them on with bravery:
"Let us go up at once, one bold step, one bold stroke more,
will do our business; it is all our own if we have but courage to
make it so: Let us go up and possess it." He does not say,
"Let us go up and conquer it;" he looks upon that to be as good as
done already; but, "Let us go up and possess it; there is nothing
to be done but to enter, and take the possession which God our
great Lord is ready to give us." Note, The righteous are bold as
a lion. Difficulties that lie in the way of salvation dwindle
and vanish before a lively active faith in the power and promise of
God. All things are possible, if they be but promised, to
him that believes.